Lacing device.



No. 668,948. Patented Feb. 26,l90l.

' N. P. soun.

LACING DEVICE.

:Application filed June 5, 1899.)

(No Model.)

m5 nonms PETERS cu, Pnmauma. msnmswm n c Nrrnn STATES PATET DFFICE.

NILS P. BOLIN, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LACING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,948, dated February 26, 1901. Application filed June 5,1899- Serial No. 719,343. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NILS P. BOLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brock ton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Boot-Lacing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful boot-lacing device for the purpose of holding the divided instep portion of a boot closed during the lasting operation.

The invention is carried out as'follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved boot-lacing device. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of a boot, showing the improved lacing device attached thereto; and Fig. 3 represents a cross-section on the line 3 3 shown in Fig. 2.

The device is composed of two separate members, preferably made of spring-wire and pivotally connected together, as shown in the drawings. One of said members is composed of a shank A, of suitable length, having made integral with it the upper and lower outwardly-projecting yielding prongs A A, the ends of which are hooked, as shown at a a". On the shank A of the members heretofore referred to is pivotally connected the other of the said members by forming a portionof the latter in a coiled manner, as at B, the ends of which are formed integral, respectively, with the upper and lower outwardlyprojecting yielding prongs B B, the ends of which are hooked, as shown at b b.

In Figs. 2 and 3, O 0 represent the eyelets or perforations in the instep or front portions D D of a boot, as usual.

After the boot has been stitched and previous to lasting the upper I attach this my improved lacing device to the eyeleted front of the upper, so as to holdthe latter closed and laced together, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In using the device I insert, preferably, the lower hooked ends a" b in the respective lower eyelets O C, after which I press the upper yielding prongs A B slightly downward sufficient to enable their hooked ends a b to be inserted into corresponding eyelets above the ones in which the lower hooks a b are inserted, and by this arrangement I cause the divided instep portions of the upper to be held together without the use of ordinary lacingstrings commonly used for such purpose.

By having the two members composing the device pivotally connected, as shown, the divided instep portions of the boot may be flattened after the removal of the last without causing the lacing device to be disconnected from the upper, which is advantageous during the subsequent manipulation of the boot.

After the boot is finished the lacing device may readily be removed and used over again on subsequent boots to be lasted.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of myinvention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim- In a boot or shoe lacing device, a pair of separate members each formed of a piece of suitable wire and pivotally connected together and each provided with an upper and lower horizontally-extending prong, the prongs of one member extending in an opposite direction to that of the prongs of the other member, a downwardly extending hook formed integral with each of the upper prongs, and an upwardly-extending hook formed integral with each of the lower prongs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NILS P. BOLIN.

Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDRErI, LAURITZ N. MOLLER. 

